Continuous sampler for gaseously conveyed particulate materials



CONTINUOUS SAMPLER FOR GASEOUSLY CONVEYED PARTIGULA'I'E MATERIALS Filed May 22, 1968 April 21, 1970 w; E. SEGL, JR

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Way fer E 226 BY WK M A rro I'M/E) April 21, 1970 w. E. SEGL, m 3,507 155 CONTINUOUS SAMPLER FOR GASEOUSLY CONVEYED PARTICULATE MATERIALS Filed May 22, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z I I I I I {i /4 l I}- l i I Z I: I 1

I l l l I l II M H I I l l I lNl ENTO Wa/feriffejifflr ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,507,155 CONTINUOUS SAMPLER FOR GASEOUSLY CONVEYED PARTICULATE MATERIALS Walter E. Segl, Jr., 36 Bruce Road, Red Bank, NJ. 07701 Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,002 Int. Cl. G01n 1/04 US. Cl. 73422 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous sample of particulate material being gaseously conveyed in a conduit is deflected by an elongated impingement pin into one end of an eductor. The impingement pin extends obliquely across the one end of the eductor in a direction opposite to the flow of the particulate material. The axis of the impingement pin and the axis of the eductor are substantially coplanar. The eductor leads to a collector and the collector is closed to maintain pressure generally equal to the static pressure in the conduit. A sample is taken by the particulated material impringing upon the impingement pin, rebounding into the eductor and being collected in the collector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known to those versed in the art, commercially acceptable designs for continuous samplers have heretofore been relatively complex and expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain, employing meterdriven feed screws and retraction mechanisms. For these, and other reasons, such prior sampling devices have found only limited use in gaseously conveyed particulate transfer systems.

SUMMARY Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a continuous-sampler construction of the type described which is extremely simple, has no moving parts, and is entirely reliable throughout a long useful life. Furthermore, the design permits a wide range of external regulation which contributes to its extreme versatility under widely varying operating conditions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a continuous sampler having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which also includes a provision minimizing the possibility of sampling material flowing at low velocity, or by means other than the preferred sampling technique.

It is still another object of this invention to permit use of a collection means having a static pressure substantially the same as that of the gaseous conveying medium in order to minimize differential pressures which interfere with material already selected through the desired mode of ejection.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing a continuous sampler incorporated in a system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view showing a collection device of the instant sampler.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the sampler mechanism installed in a fluid conduit.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURE 1 thereof, a conveying system for gaseously conveyed particulate or granular material is there generally designated 10, and includes a pipeline having a flow direction as indicated by the arrow 11. Interposed in the pipeline 10 is a sampling device, generally designated 12, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. A tubular conduit or eductor tube 13 is in fluid communication between the sample 12 and a sample-collection assembly 14. The sample-collection assembly 14 may be tapped to remove the collected sample.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, the sampling device '12 is shown in greater detail, and includes an openended conduit section 16 interposed between, and in sealed alignment with, a pair of pipe sections 17 and 18 of the pipeline 10. Thus, the conduit section 16 is coaxially located in series between the adjacent ends of pipeline sections 17 and 18, being sealed thereto by any suitable means; for purposes of illustration, there is shown one well-known coupling assembly 21, commercially available as a Dresser Style No. 38 Coupling. The coupling assembly 21 may include a cylindrical body 22 with integrally flared ends 28 and 29. When pipeline sections 17 and 18 are butted against conduit section 16, they are affixed by compressible gaskets 32 and 33 which exert constrictive circumferential forces when squeezed into flared ends 28 and 29 by flanges 30 and 31, which in turn are pulled together by bolts 34.

Of course, other suitable coupling structures may be employed.

The eductor means 13 may include a tube 36 having one end connected, as by a hose clamp 37, to a tube end fitting 38. The tube end fitting 38 radially connects the eductor tube 36 to the pipe section 16, terminating in an open end or inlet 39, which is substantially flush with the internal surface of the conduit section 16. The opposite end of said eductor tube 13 is connected to, and terminates at, the top of collection assembly 14. Thus, the eductor means 13 provides a fluid communication path between sampler 12 and collection assembly 14.

The collection assembly 14 may include a generally transparent cylindrical collection tube 40 having its upper end closed by an inverted funnel-shaped member 41 connected to, and in fluid communication with, the outlet end of the conduit 36.

The lower end of the vertically mounted collectionassembly tube 40 may be provided with a convergent or funnel-shaped bottom member 43 having a central opening 44 for gravitational removal of material which has accumulated in the collector 14. To effect removal, any

suitable valve assembly will suflice; the preferred embodiment, however, is depicted by the conical valve 46 located in opening 44, which is controlled by rotary crank 47. having a medial offset portion 48 suitably connected, as by a spring 45 to the valve 46. The crank 47 may be suitably journaled in member 43, as by bearings 49 and 50, and project externally from the collector 14, being there provided with a manual dump handle 51.

Referring again to FIGURE 3, an impingement member 52 is mounted downstream of the eductor opening 39 and extends radially inward through conduit section 16 into the path of material flow. More specifically, the impingement member 52 may be a generally cylindrical pin whose axis is inclined obliquely upstream, such that the axis lies directly across, over, and coplanar with the eductor opening 39, as shown in FIGURE 5.

The impingement pin 52 is advantageously adjustably mounted by impingement-pin mounting means 54 just downstream of the eductor fitting 38. The impingementpin mounting means may include an internally and externally threaded tubular member 54 located downstream, but coplanar with the eductor fitting 38 on the underside of the coupling sleeve 22. In this disposition, the tubular fitting 54 is threaded into a thru opening 56 provided in the sleeve 22. An externally threaded holder 57 carries the impingement pin 52, and is threaded into the mounting member 54, the pin 52 passing inward through openings 56 and 58, and thus inside the conduit section 16. In this condition, the impingement member or pin 52 extends obliquely upstream into the conduit section 16, across and over the eductor opening 39. It will also be apparent that the impingement pin 52 is thus mounted for extensile and retractile adjustment along its axis, thus providing one means for altering the sampling rate as required by operating conditions. Thus, the impingement member 52 may extend partially or completely across the eductor end opening 39. Also, the specific configuration of the impingement member 52 may be altered for variations in operating conditions, if desired. It is locked in place after adjustment by lock nut 53.

Mounted on the interior wall of conduit section 16, upstream of the eductor opening 39, is a deflection member 59. The deflection member may be of a sheet construction, say metal, or other suitable material, and may be formed with a pair of generally triangular walls 60 disposed in angular relation with respect to each other and meeting along a juncture line 61 as shown in FIG- URES 4 and 5. The walls 60 have their outer sides or edges suitably fixed to the interior surface of the conduit section 16, and, in plan view, taper upstream to a vertex, where the deflector is faired to the internal conduit-section surface. Viewed otherwise, from a smooth mergence with the internal conduit-section surface, the juncture line 61 of the walls 60 extends obliquely downstream toward the conduit axis, and is coplanar with the end opening 39 and impingement pin 52. The deflector 59 is therefore immediately upstream of and partially blocks the outer region of the impingement pin 52, terminating short of the eductor end opening 39. In particular, the downstream edges 62 of the deflector wall portion 60 are divergent from the juncture line 61 in the downstream direction, so as to leave the eductor opening 39 unob structed to sampled-material egress along the axis of tube end fitting 38.

In operation, that particulate or granular material being pneumatically conveyed in the direction of arrow 11 which impinges within a particular area of impingement pin 52, rebounds directly into eductor opening 39. In addition to assuring that particles from the flow stream do not gather in the region of the eductor opening 39, the deflector 59 effectively eliminates flow-stream interference with particles which have impinged on pin 52, and

minimizes sampling of particles whose motion may tend to carry them into the eductor means 13 by means other than impingement on the pin 52.

The rate of sampling can be varied in several ways, for example by changing the location of the impingement member 52 along its axis; by changing the configuration of the impingement member, say by flattening; by changing the angular position or rotation of the sampler assembly 12 in the pipeline 10; by selecting a particular portion of the pipeline for the sampler installation, say near a bend; and, by the use of multiple ports and impingement pins, together with any of the above-recited modes of operation.

In use, the hereinbefore described continuous sampler was found to produce the same overall particle weight distribution and particle physical properties, as samples collected through thiefing techniques after complete transfer. Further, the requirement for impingement of all particles collected assures a sequentia pattern of march into the eductor means 13, so that blocking of the eductor opening 39 is effectively prevented.

It will also be appreciated that the sample-collection means 14 may be maintained at the same static pressure as in the conveying pipeline 10, so that there is effectively no transfer of material by pressure differential.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a continuous sampler for gaseously conveyed granular materials which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of production and installation, maintenance and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A continuous sampler for particulate material being gaseously conveyed, said sampler comprising a section of conduit for-conducting particulate material, tubular eductor means exteriorly of said conduit having one end connected to said conduit and permanently opening therethrough into the interior thereof, collection means connected to the other end of said eductor means, said collection means being closed to maintain its internal pressure generally equal to the static pressure in said conduit, and an elongated impingement member extending interiorly of said conduit in the path of material movement obliquely across said one end of said eductor means in a direction opposite to the flow of said particulate material and spaced from the opening of said one end of said eductor means, the axis of the impingement member and the axis of the eductor means being substantially coplanar, whereby a sample of particulate material impinging upon said impingement member rebounds to said eductor means for passage therethrough to said collection means.

2. A continuous sampler according to claim 1, in combination with mounting means downstream of said one end of said eductor means mounting said impingement for extension obliquely upstream across said one end of said eductor means in said coplanar relation.

3. A continuous sampler according to claim 2, said mounting means being selectively shiftable to effect 1ongitudinal extension and retraction of said impingement member.

4. A continuous sampler according to claim 1, in com. bination with deflector means mounted internally of said conduit upstream of said one end of said eductor means to effectively prevent entry into said one end of said eductor means of material not rebounded from said impingement member.

5. A continuous sampler according to claim 4, said impingement member comprising a generally cylindrical pin.

6. A continuous sampler according to claim 4, said deflector extending obliquely downstream toward said impingement member and terminating short of said one end of said eductor means without blocking the path of particulate material movement to said impingement member and the path of rebounding particles to said eductor means.

7. A continuous sampler according to claim 4, said impingement member comprising a pin extending from a location downstream of said one end of said eductor means obliquely upstream and across said one end of said eductor means, and said deflector being faired to said conduit to obstruct said one end of said eductor means and the outer region of said pin to the direct path of particulate material movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,250,128 5/1966 Cassel 73422 3,336,808 8/1967 Ryskamp 73422 FOREIGN PATENTS 212,642 5/ 1967 Sweden. 261,271 5/1968 Austria.

10 S. CLEMENT SWISHER, Primary Examiner H. C. POST III, Assistant Examiner 

